Sending care packages tip

I found a good way to send packages to my son by chance. Addressing packages to FPO locations can be a challenge. When doing the address and customs forms I had 2 different US Post Offices tell me they were not sure where all components of the address went on the forms. All my packages made it to my son but they can take a long time and it made me question my handling of the forms etc. My son was asking for an item that I found on Amazon and while completing the address I saw a help section for military addresses. I learned more from this than the Post Office staff could tell me. I also saved the address so now I just click on it when I want to send him something via Amazon. I have Amazon Prime($79)  which covers a lot of my shipping costs. Amazon is not always cheapest but it makes packages to my son just a few clicks away. I noticed that they  also have military care packages available but the prices did not look very good to me. I have not had to do any customs forms this way and I don't know why it is not needed through Amazon. I just ordered some beef jerky packs and plan to send smaller things more often this way.

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  • One thing about amazon, not every item will ship oversees. I have had a lot of clothes that I ended up sending home and having my wife ship them to my APO address. Another thing many people don’t realize about Amazon is that you can buy groceries items on Amazon that soldiers and sailors may not be able to get in the BX/PX.  Many of the big box stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and Kohl’s also ship for free to APO/FPO.  You can also set up shipping addresses on their sites as well.  Here is a warning, its starting to get hot over here in the middle east.  Be very careful about sending items that may melt or spoil from now until November.  Many of the boxes creates could sitting in the full sun for hours or days.  By May, the average temperature here in Kuwait will be 110-125 f. 

  • FPO is the city and AE is the state, you have to have all the zip code +4 and the stuff goes to like a designated spot and when they get to say the shipment zone they wait until they have enough and then they fly it out to the ship. The place the packages actually go to from us or wherever we order from doesn't take look because it's still in the US. It's just depends on which plane it gets that takes it to the boat from there, so that's what holds things up
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